Dogen Sangha Blog

Master Gudo Nishijima has been practicing Buddhism for more than sixty years.
He was a student of Master Kodo Sawaki, an itinerant priest famous
for his efforts to restore Zazen to its rightful place at the center
of Buddhism. Master Nishijima was ordained as a priest by the
late Master Rempo Niwa, formerly head of the Soto Sect,
and has written many books on Buddhism
in both Japanese and in English.
For over twenty years, he has been
giving instructions on Zazen and lectures in English.
See here for details.

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Thank you,
Dogen Sangha Blog Administration (info.nishijima@mac.com).

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Blackness during Zazen

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

First of all, thanks for having this channel to allow westerns like me to get in touch with you and freely ask questions about our practice. Saudações do Brasil ! =)

My question is: during my practice of zazen (or would it be shikantaza, because I don't focus on anything like my hara in specific ?) sometimes (not always, but frequently) it happens that for a long time I lose awareness of everything -- of myself, of time, of my mind, of objects -- everything. I sit and it feels like 10 minutes have passed, when in fact one hour or more have passed. Is this alright ? Am I doing something wrong ? It is almost as if I fell in deep sleep, except that I don't think this is the case because I had my wife watching me to see if this was the case, which wasn't.

I have never received formal instructions on how to practice zazen, so I take into consideration the written instructions I've read in books like "The Three Pillars of Zen", for example -- just sit quietly and let thoughts come and go by themselves, not attaching nor repulsing them. I don't keep my focus on my hara or anything else, I just don't focus on anything specific.

Thank you !Daniel

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(Gudo's answer) I remember that the auther of "The Three Pillars of Zen" belongs to Master Sogaku Harada's lineage, but Master Sogaku Harada, even though he belonged to Soto Sect, he visited Rinzai Sect, and coming back to Soto Sect, he insisted that Rinzai Sect's theory was right. But I never think so.

(Daniel's reply and question) I understand it now ! Then it's good, because I have never meditated having something as focus. What about the lack of awareness of objects I mentioned on the question, is that normal or does it mean I am doing something wrong, because I am supposed to be always aware ?

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Vegetarian and Zen practice

The universe in Zen

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

In the Zen tradition does the universe have a beginning or and end? If it has always existed doesn't that conflict with its teachings, since everything that has a beginning has and end and vice versa? Therefore, if this is the case doesn't there have to be a prime mover, so to speak, that set the universe in motion at some point in time?

Friday, January 18, 2008

Karma and cause and effect.

Master Nishijima,

When I begin to consider Karma and cause and effect it can result in idealistic thinking. I understand that Zazen dose not free us from cause and effect. I know you have written on this subject before but I am still not clear.

Could you please explain the rules of cause and effect and karma once again?

Thank youJordan

Dear Jordan San,

Thank you very much for your important question.

Generally speaking the Sanskrit word "karma" means a common word, which means "action," and so it does not mean originally the special meaning of "a fate, which has been already decided by an action in the past.

However, because of wrong understandings in Buddhist philosophy, many people have understood the word "karma, or action" as the meaning of an already decided "fate", which has been decided by an action in the past.

And because of such a wrong interpretation of the word, many people misunderstood that "karma" is a kind of "fate," and so the Buddhist philosophy is just a kind of fatalism.

But at this point we should remember the fundamental Buddhist theaory of the four philosophies, which is a dialectic series of idealism, materialism, philosophy of action, and reality itself.

And even though the concepts of cause and effect belong to the second phase of materialism, but the concept of action belongs to the third phase of philosophy of action.

Therefore, even though Buddhism insists the theory of cause and effect in the second phase of materialism, it can also insist the perfect freedom of human beings in the third phase of philosophy of action. In other words Buddhism insists clearly that even though human beings are caught by the rule of cause and effect in the materialistic philosophy of the second phase, it can also insist the perfect freedom of human being at the present moment as a pea of pearl on the edge of razor, which can fall down sometimes to the right side, sometimes to the left side. in the third phase of philosophy of action.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

fearing death

Hi,

Why is it that we fear death soo much? How does one stop the fear of death and just accept the fact that we all die? Zen words usually make it sound easy but one finds it difficult to implement. Do you have any suggestions on how to go about this in practrice, mentally --How one can stop fearing and start living?

thanks,Nick

I think that everyone hopes to live for ever, but there is no example that someone has survived for ever. Therefore it is necessary for us to affirm that everyone has to die without exeption. But almost all people desire to live for ever. Therefore there are so many people, who fear death so much.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Important principles in Shobogenzo (12) Kesa-kudoku

49]

(1) The authentic transmission into China of the robe and the Dharma, which are authentically transmitted from buddha to buddha and from pa-triarch to patriarch, was done only by the founding Patriarch of Sugaku peak.

(The authentic ritual robes, which have been transmitted from Buddhas to Buddhas, and from Patriarchs to Patriarchs, have been transmitted authentically to China, relying upon only the founding Patriarch of Sugaku peak, Master Bodhi-dharma.)

Master Bodhi-dharma has come from India to China at the beginning of the 6th Century, wearing his authentic Kashaya from India, and this fact is just the historical fact that the authentic Kashaya has been transmitted from India to China by Master Bodhi-dharma himself.

(2) Truly, better than ruling a three-thousand-great-thousandfold realm of worlds as countless as the sands of the Ganges, to see and to hear and to serve offerings to the Buddha's robe as the king of a small country where the Buddha's robe is present, may be the best life among [all] good lives [lived] in life-and-death. Where, in a three-thousandfold world which has been reached by the Buddha's influence, could the ka≈åya not exist? At the same time, the one who passed on the authentic transmission of the Buddha's kashaya, having received the face-to-face transmission from right-ful successor to rightful successor, is only the ancestral Patriarch of Sugaku peak.

(Truly speaking, it might be much better for us to become a king of a small country, where the authentic Buddhist robes exist, than governing the three-thosand-great-thousandfold realm of worlds as countless as the sands of the Ganges without the authentic Kashaya, and if it is possible for us to experience and serve offerings for the ritual robes, such a life might be the most excellently happy life without fail. How is it possible for us to find a country, where they do not have any kind of Kashaya at all, in the area, where the Buddhist influences have arrived at sufficiently? However, the only person, who has transmitted Kashaya authentically to China, is just the ancestral Patriarch of Sugaku peak, Master Bodhi-dharma solely.)

It might be the most excellently happy life for us to grasp the Gautama Buddha's teachings, and so it might be much more happy life for us to govern a small country, where the authentic Buddhist robes have been pervaded already, than to govern the limmitlessly many countries of the Universe, where they do not have any authentic Kashaya at all yet.

(3) When buddhas realize the truth they are always wearing the kashaya. Remember, [to wear the kashaya] is the noblest and highest virtue.

(When Buddhas have realized the Truth, they inevitably wear Kashaya. Therefore we should remember that wearing Kashaya includes the most venerable and the highest virtue in Buddhism without fail.)

Logically speaking, wearing Kashaya is only utilizing a religious wearing the special traditional robe in religious organization, but in the case of Buddhism, wearing Kashaya has its traditional special meaning. Because the establisher of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha himself, originally has used Kashaya by himself, and even in 21st Century in almost all Buddhist organizations in the world, they usually use very similar Buddhist ritual robes called Kashaya, in Theravada Buddhism, Tibetan Budhism, Chinese Buddhism, Korean Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, Eropean Buddhism, American Buddhism, and so forth. Therefore we should think that almost all Buddhist organizations in the world, have very old traditional habits of wearing Kashaya, and so we should maintain this traditional habit in Buddhist organizations for ever.

(4) Truly, we have been born in a remote land in [the age of] the Latter Dharma, and we must regret this. But at the same time, how should we measure the joy of meeting the robe and the Dharma which have been transmitted from bud-dha to buddha, from rightful successor to rightful successor? Which [other] lineage has authentically transmitted both the robe and the Dharma of Shakyamuni in the manner of our authentic transmission? Having met them, who could fail to venerate them and to serve offerings to them? Even if, each day, we [have to] discard bodies and lives as countless as the sands of the Ganges, we should serve offerings to them. Indeed we should vow to meet them, humbly to receive them upon the head, to serve offerings to them, and to venerate them in every life in every age.

(Truly speaking, we have been born in an isolated district and in this degenerated age, therefore it must be the condition that we have to regret enormously, but at the same time it might be incalculably happy condition for us to meet with the authentic retual robe, which has been transmitted from Buddha to Buddha and from rightful successor to rightful successor, actually. What kind of lineage has authentically transmitted Gautama Buddha's rule of ritual robes as in our authentic transmission? How is it possible for anyone, who has met the authentically authorized one, not to revere it and not to offer miscellaneous offerings? We should offer miscellaneous offerings to the robe even we sacrifice our limitlessly many bodies and lives as the sands of the Ganges a day without fail. And furthermore it is necessary for us to establish the vow to meet with the robe, to place it on our head for reverence, to serve offerings and prostrate ourselves in front of it in every life and in every age.)

The reverence of Kashaya is very special in Buddhism, because the establisher of Buddhism, that is, Gautama Buddha reveres Kashaya enormously, and almost all Buddhist organizations have revered Kashaya absolutely. I think that this historical facts in Buddhism suggests that Gautama Buddha himself might expect that the authentically traditional ritual dobe of Kashaya might have been maintained by all people, who believe in Buddhism, through the World for ever. Therefore I think that it is necessary for us to revere absolutely following the old Buddhist tradition, and so we should never change our reverence of Kashaya eternally. We can think that this is just Gautama Buddha's attitude, Master Nagarjuna's attitude, Master Bodhi-dharma's attitude, and Master Dogen's attitude.

(5) Having received and retained this kashaya, we should perpetually receive it upon the head in humility and preserve it. How could this only be to have practiced merit under one buddha or two buddhas? It may be to have practiced all kinds of merit under buddhas equal to the sands of the Ganges. Even if [the people who receive and retain the ka≈åya] are ourselves, we should venerate them, and we should rejoice.

(Having received and retained the kashaya, we receive it upon the head for reverence and we guard it to maintain. It might be the fact that not only in a case of one Buddha or two Buddhas, but we have practiced the miscellaneous virtue of kashaya under so many Buddhas as many as the sands of the Ganges. Therefore even though it is in the case of ourselves, we should revere the kashaya, and we should be joyful wearing it wholeheartedly.)

The kashaya is our authentic ritual robe in Buddhism, and so it has absolutely reverent virtue in itself. Therefore it is inevitably necessary for us to revere kashaya without fail.

(6) We should heartily repay the profound benevolence of the ancestral Master in trans-mitting the Dharma. Even animals repay kindness; so how could human beings fail to recognize kindness? If we failed to recognize kindness, we might be more stupid than animals. The merits of this Buddha-robe and this Buddha-Dharma were never clarified or known by anyone other than the ancestral Master who transmitted the Buddha's right Dharma. If we want to follow gladly the traces of the buddhas, we should just be glad about this [transmission]. Even after hundred thousand myriads of generations, we should esteem this authentic transmission as the authentic transmis-sion. This [transmission] may be the Buddha-Dharma itself; the proof in due course will become evident.

(We should wholeheartedly repay the profound benevolence of the ancestral Master in transmittingthe Dharma. Even in the case of animals they repay kindness, therefore how is it possible for human beings not to recognize kindness from others? In the case of human beings, if they do not recognize such a kind of benevolence from others, they must be much more stupid than animals. The virtue of the Buddhist robe and the Buddhist Truth, can never be clarified and known by people other than Patriarchs, who have transmitted the true Buddhism by themselves, and others than them can never be possible to clarify it at all. If it is desirable and necessary for us to admire and respect the miscellaneous Buddha's traces, we should look for just the trace, which I have explained it above. Even in the time, which is as late as hundreds, thousands, or tens of thoudands ages later, we should select only the authentic one as authentic. This may be the Buddhist principle, and evidences, which suggest such facts, might be clear so much.)

There may be many kinds of kashaya, which have been used in historical Buddhist societies, but it is necessary for us to selct the most orthodox one, which has been transmitted by Master Bodhi-dharma himself.

58]

(7) When Shakyamuni Tathågata passed to Mahakashyapa the right-Dharma-eye treasury and the supreme state of bodhi, he transmitted them together with a kashaya received in the authentic transmission from Kashyapa Buddha. Received by rightful successor from rightful successor, [the kashaya] reached Zen Master Daikan of Sokei-zan mountain, the thirty-third generation. The material, color, and measurements [of the kashaya] had been transmitted intimately.

(When Shakyamuni Buddha transmitted to Mahakashyapa the right-Dharma-eye treasury and the supreme state of bodhi, he transmitted them together with a kashaya received in the authentic transmission from Kashypa Buddha. And those are transmitted by rightful successor to rightful successor, and the Kashaya has been transmitted to Master Daikan Eno of Sokeizan mountain, the thirty-third generation. The material, color, and measurements of Kashaya have been transmitted intimately.

The authentic Kashya has been transmitted from the ancestral Master to the ancestral Master one by one, and so we should revere inevitably the authentic one.

64]

(8) For hundreds of years, through one dynasty after another – Liang, Chen, Sui, Tang, and Sung – many scholars of both the large and the small vehi-cles have abandoned the work of lecturing on sutras, recognizing that it is not the ultimate, and progressed to learn the authentically transmitted Dharma of the Buddhist patriarchs; when they do so, they inevitably shed their former shabby robes and receive and retain the authentically transmit-ted kashaya of the Buddhist patriarchs. This is indeed the abandonment of the false and the return to the true. [In discussing] the right Dharma of the Tathågata, [we see] the Western Heavens as the very root of the Dharma.

(Through one dynasty after another, Liang, Chen, Tang, and Sung, for hundreds of years, many scholars of both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism, have abandoned the work of lecturing on sutras,recognizing that it is not the ultimate, and progressed to learn the authentically transmitted Dharma of the Buddhist patriarchs. And when they do so, they inevitably shed their former shabby robes and receive and retain the authentically transmitted kashaya of the Buddhist patriarchs. This is indeed the abandonment of the false and the return to the true. Therefore it is very clear that, India, the Western Heaven, is just the origin of Buddhist teachings in the True Dharma of Gautama Buddha.)

Even though through the several dynasties, Liang, Chen, Tang, Sung, and so forth, there have been many Buddhist patriarchs, who have abandoned the work of lecturing on sutras, recognizing that it is not the ultimate, and progressed to learn the authentic Buddhism by practicing Zazen, such facts have occurred from the situations that the fundamental origin of true Buddhism exists not in China, but in India, the Western Heaven itself.

(9) Nevertheless, [common men] in China, acting at random, have failed to see the Western Heavens as the root, and have considered their newly devised, limited, small views to be the Buddha-Dharma. Such facts should never occur.

(However in fact many people do not interpret that the fundamental basis of Buddhism exists in the Western Heaven, India, but in China they produce their own narrow-minded idea newly as if it were the traditional Buddhist principle. Nevertheless, the true Buddhist principles should never be like that.)

Thinking about the historical facts in ancient India fundamentally, the true basis of all Buddhist theories have occurred in India, and so it must be very wrong attitudes of Chinese monks, who have insisted actually that many kinds of Buddhist teachings have been born in China.

(10) Therefore if people today who have established the mind want to receive and to retain the kashaya, they must receive and retain the kashaya of the authentic transmission. They must not receive and retain a kashaya newly created according to the idea of the moment. The kashaya of the authentic transmission means the one that has been authentically transmitted from Shaolin [temple] and Sokei [mountain], the one that has been received by the Tathågata’s rightful suc-cessors without missing a single generation. The kashaya worn by their Dharma-children and Dharma-grandchildren is the traditional kashaya.

(Therefore, in short, poeple, who have established to pursue the Truth now, when they want to receive and maitain kashaya, they should receive and maintain the authentic kashaya, and they should never receive and maintain the newly produced kashaya, which has been designed recently.The kashaya, which has been called the authentic kashaya, is the kashaya, which has been authentically transmitted by Master Bodhi-dharma in Shaolin temple and Master Daikan Enou on the Sokei mountain. The kashaya has been transmitted from Gautama Buddha to Mahakashapa one by one without any abruptness at all. The kashaya, which has been worn by Gautama Buddha's children, grandchildren, and so forth, are just the authentically transmitted kashaya.)

In the Buddhist tradition, there exists the authentically transmitted kashaya. Therefore, when we wear kashaya, it is necessary for us to wear the authentic one inevitably.

(11) Why are we so fortunate as to have met the Dharma in which the robe and the Dharma of the Tathagata, the World-honored One, have been authentically transmitted? It is the influence of the great merit of prajnya nurtured in the past.

(Why are we so fortunate to meet the Dharma of kashaya, which Gatama Buddha authentically has transmitted to us? That must be the great influence of virtue, that we have accumulated the reverent prajna for a long time.)

Our happiness of meeting the authentic kashaya, which has been maitain from Gautama Buddha to ourselves for a long time, must be relied upon our great prajnya, which has been matured by our Buddhist efforts for a long time.

(12) In the present corrupt age of the Latter Dharma, [some] are not ashamed that they themselves have no authentic transmission, and they envy others who possess the authentic transmission. I think they may be a band of demons. Their present possessions and abodes which are influenced by their former conduct, are not true and real. Just to devote themselves to and to venerate the authentically transmitted Buddha-Dharma: this may be their real refuge in learning [the state of] Buddha.

(Now in the presen corrupt age of the Latter Dharma, some are not ashamed that they themselves have no authentic transmission, and they envy others, who possess the authetic transmission. I think that they might be a band of demons. Their present possessions and abodes, which are influenced by their former conduct, are not true and real. Just to devote themselves to and to venerate the authentically transmitted Buddha-Dharma: this may be their real refuge in the state of Buddha.)

The Buddhist kashaya, which has been transmitted by Master Boddhi-dharma to China, must be the authentic kashaya in Buddhism. Therefore all Buddhist believers, wha are pursuing the Buddhist Truth exclusively, should identically wear the authentic kashaya without fail.

(13) In sum, remember that the kashaya is the object of the buddhas' veneration and devotion. It is the body of the Buddha and the mind of the Buddha.

(Generally speaking, kashaya is just the object of many Buddhas's veneration and devotion. Therefore, kashaya is Gautama Buddha's body, and Gautama Buddha's mind.)

The kashaya is Gautama Buddha's authentic ritual clothes, and so we should think that kashaya is Gautama Buddha's body, and Gautama Buddha's mind.

(14) Because it is like this, we should never change it according to [our own] mind.

(The historical situations have been like this, and so we should never easily change the form of kashaya from the authentic one.)

The kashaya has the very special historical meaning, and so we should never easily change the authentic form of kashaya.

71]

(15) As material for the robe, we use silk or cotton, according to suitability. It is not always the case that cotton is pure and silk is impure. There is no viewpoint from which to hate cotton and to prefer silk; that would be laughable.

(As the material of robe, we use both cotton and silk following circumtances, and it can not be always decisive that a vegetable fiber is always pure, and a fiber of silk is not always impure. But at the same time there is no authentic idea that we hate cotton because of being preferable for silk, and such an attitude must be laughable.)

From the Buddhist viewpoint there is no reason for us to prefer either cotton or silk when we want to select the material for the robe. We do not have any distitinction between silk and cotton in the selection of the stuff of robe, and we have common idea that we use "filthy rages" for making kashaya.

(16) Remember, in picking up rags, there may be cotton that looks like silk and there may be silk that looks like cotton. There being myriad differences in local customs it is hard to fathom [Nature's] creation – eyes of flesh cannot know it. Having obtained such material, we should not discuss whether it is silk or cotton, but should call it rags.

(We should remenber that when we pick up rags, there might be cotton, which looks like silk and and at the same time there might be silk, which looks like cotton. There being myriad differences in local customs, and so it might be difficult for us to distinguish them and it might be impossible for us to know the facts with eyes of flesh. In the case of meeting such a situation, it should not be permissible for us to discuss whether it is silk or cotton, but we should call them as rags.)

We, Buddhists, should never be attached such a relative distinction between silk and cotton, but we should think that there is no relative difference between silk or cotton.

(17) The eternal Buddha says, "It is not cotton and it is not silk." Remember, it is a profound teach-ing of the Buddha's truth that the kashaya is beyond silk and cotton.

(The eternal Buddha says, "It is not cotton and it is not silk." We should know that kashaya is far beyond both silk and cotton, that is the profound instruction of Buddhism itself.)

Kashaya is a Buddhist clothes, which is far beyond the secular estimation. Therefore we should obey such a traditional priciple blindly.

74]

(18) The Venerable Shanawashu is third in the transmission of the Dharma-treasury. He has been endowed with a robe since birth. While he is a layman this robe is a secular garment, but when he leaves home it turns into a kashaya. In another case, the bhikshu Senpaku, after establishing the will and being clothed in a cotton robe, has been born with a robe in every life and middle existence. On the day that she meets Shakyamuni Buddha and leaves home, the secular robe which she has had since birth changes instantly into a kashaya, as in the case of the Venerable Shonawashu. Clearly, the kashaya is be-yond silk, cotton, and so forth. Moreover, the fact that the virtue of the Buddha-Dharma can transform body-and-mind and all dharmas is as in those examples. The truth is evident that when we leave home and receive the precepts, body-and-mind, object-and-subject, change at once; it is only because we are stupid that we do not know. It is not true that the usual rule of the buddhas applies only to Shanawasa and to Senpaku, but not to us; we should not doubt that benefit [accrues] in accordance with individual standing. We should consider such truths in detail and learn them in prac-tice.

(The Venerable Shonawashu is the third generation in the transmission of the Dharma-treasury. And it is said that he has been wearing his native clothes together from his birth. The clothes have been just secular clothes, but after becoming a Buddhist monk the clothes have become kashaya. And in the case of Nun Senpaku after establishing the will to the truth she always wear white cotton clothes throughout her life and at a short term between life and death. But on a day, when she has met with Gautama Buddha for becoming a nun, her innate former clothes has become into kashaya suddenly, and the situations are very similar to the case of the Venerable Shonawashu. Therefore we can clearly notice that the fundamental meaning of kashaya does not belong to whether it is silk, or cotton, and so forth. And furthermore the fact that a mystical power of Buddhism has power to change body, mind, miscellaneous things and phenomena, is just like this. Even though it is very clear principle for us to change our body, mind, things and phenomena, when we leave our family life to become monks or nuns, because of our stupidity we usually do not know such facts exactly. The common law of miscellaneous Buddhas always works for ourselves too not only for the Venerable Shonawashu, or Senpaku, and so we should never easily doubt our own similar fortunate. And those kinds of fundamental principles should be profoundly considered and should be clearly experienced by practice.)

In short in Buddhism we have so many mystic stories in ancient time, but it is not only one way for us to doubt them. And sometimes it is necessary for us to interpret them on the basis of logical understanding.

(19) The precious pearl within the robe is be-yond those who count grains of sand. We should clarify and should learn in practice that which has quantity and that which is without quantity, that which has form and that which is without form, in the material, color, and measurements of the kashaya of the buddhas.

(The very valuable meaning like the precious pearl within the robe can never be understood by a scholastic poeple, who are only studying meanings of each character in the sutras one by one. The form, color, stuff, of many Buddhas's kashaya, should be studied with experience in the case of having volume, or having no volume, or in the case of having form, or having no form.)

Kashaya is just the authentic Buddhist robes, which have been utilized for so many ages, and so we should carefully research the form, color, stuff, of kashaya with experience carefully.

86]

(20) This being so, the authentic transmission to the present of the skin, flesh, bones, and marrow of the World-honored One, is the kashaya-robe. The ancestral masters who have authentically transmitted the right-Dharma-eye treasury have, without exception, au-thentically transmitted the kashaya. The living beings who have received and retained this robe and humbly received it upon their heads have, without exception, attained the truth within two or three lives. Even when people have put [the kashaya] on their body for a joke or for gain, it has inevitably become the causes and conditions for their attaining the truth.

(This being so, the authentic transmission to the present of the skin, flesh, bones, and marrow of Gautama Buddha, is the kashaya-robe. The ancestral masters, who have authentically transmitted the the true-Dharma-eye treasury have, without exception, authentically transmitted the kashaya. The people who have received and retained this robe and humbly received it upon their head have, without exception, attained the truth within two or three lives. Even when people who have put the kashaya on their body for a joke or for gain, it has inevitably become the cause and circumstances for their attaining the truth.)

Therefore we can think that the wearing kashaya is the authentic symbol of getting the Truth during our life.

93]

(21) Generally, we should dye the kashaya blue, yellow, red, black, or purple. Whichever color it is, we should make it a secondary color. The Tathågata always wore a flesh-colored kashaya; this was the color of the kashaya. The Buddha's kashaya transmitted by the First Patriarch was blue-black, and made of the cotton crepe of the Western Heavens. It is now on Sokei-zan mountain.

(Generally speaking, we should dye the kashaya blue, yellow, red, black, or purple, but those colors should be mixed, and not sharp. Gautama Buddha always wore a flesh-colored one, and it is just the color of kashaya. The Buddhist kashaya, which has been transmitted by the first Patriarch in China, Master Bodhi-dharma, was blue-black, and made of the cotton crepe of India, which had been maintained on Sokei-zan mountain.)

The color of kashaya should not be so brilliant, and it should avoid primary colors.

105]

(22) In general, the kashaya is the banner of a disciple of the Buddha. If we have already received and retained the kashaya, we should humbly receive it upon the head every day. Placing it on the crown of the head, we join the hands and recite the following verse:

Daisai-gedatsu-fuku How great is the clothing of liberation,Muso-fukuden-e Formless, field of happiness, robe!Hibu-nyorai-kyo Devoutly wearing the Tathagata's teaching, Kodo-shoshujo Widely I will save living beings.

After that we put it on. In the kashaya, we should feel like [our] Master and should feel like a tower. We also recite this verse when we humbly re-ceive [the kashaya] on the head after washing it.

(Generally speaking, the kashaya is the banner of a disciple of Gautama Buddha. If we have already received and retained the kashaya, we should humbly receive it upon the head every day. Placing it on the crown of the head, and joining hands we should recite the following verse.

Daisai-gedatsu-fuku How great is the clothing of liberation,Muso-fukuden-e Formless, field of happiness, robe!Hibu-nyorai-kyo Devoutly wearing the Tathagata's teaching, Kodo-shoshujo Widely I will save living beings.

After that we put it on. In the kashaya, we should feel like our Master and should feel like a tower. We should also recite this verse when we humbly receive the kashaya on the head after washing it.)

Generally speaking kashaya always has the symbolical meaning, and so we should revere it as if it were Gautama Buddha himself.

120]

(23) During my stay in Sung China, when I was making effort on the long platform, I saw that my neighbor at the end of every sitting would lift up his kashaya and place it on his head; then holding the hands together in ven-eration, he would quietly recite a verse. The verse was:

Daisai-gedatsu-fuku How great is the clothing of liberation,Muso-fukuden-e Formless, field of happiness, robe!Hibu-nyorai-kyo Devoutly wearing the Tathågata's teaching, Kodo-shoshujo Widely I will save living beings.

At that time, there arose in me a feeling I had never before experienced [My] body was overwhelmed with joy. The tears of gratitude secretly fell and soaked my lapels. The reason was that when I had read the Agama sutras previously, I had noticed sentences about humbly receiving the kashaya on the head, but I had not clarified the standards for this behavior. Seeing it done now, before my very eyes, I was overjoyed. I thought to myself, "It is a pity that when I was in my homeland there was no master to teach this, and no good friend to recommend it. How could I not regret, how could I not deplore, passing so much time in vain? Now that I am seeing and hearing it, I can rejoice in past good conduct. If I had vainly stayed in my home country, how could I have sat next to this treasure of a monk, who has received the transmission of, and who wears, the Buddha's robe itself?" The sadness-and-joy was not one-sided. A thousand myriad tears of gratitude ran down. Then I secretly vowed: "One way or another, unworthy though I am, I will become a rightful successor to the Buddha-Dharma. I will receive the authentic transmission of the right Dharma and, out of compassion for living beings in my homeland, I will cause them to see and to hear the robe and the Dharma which have been authentically transmitted by the Buddhist patriarchs." The vow I made then has not been in vain now; many bodhisattvas, in families and out of families, have received and retained the kashaya. This is something to rejoice in.

(When I was staying in Sung China, for making my efforts to practice Zazen on the long platform, I saw that my neighbor at the end of every sitting would lift up his kashaya and place it on his head. Then holding his hands together in veneration, he would quietly recite a verse. The verse was:

Daisai-gedatsu-fuku How great is the clothing of liberation Muso-fukuden-e Formless, field of happiness, robe! Hibu-nyorai-kyo Devoutly wearing the Tathagata's teaching, Kodo-shoshujo Widely I will save living beings.

Just at that time, there arose in me a feeling, which I had never before experienced, and my body was overwhelmed with joy. The tears of gratitude secretly fell and soaked my lapels. The reason was that when I had read the Agama sutras previously, I had noticed sentences about humbly receiving the kashaya on the head, but I had not clarified the standards for this behavior. Seeing it done now, beforemy very eyes, I was overjoyed. I thought to myself, "It is a pity that when I was in my homeland there was no master to teach this, and no good friend to recommend it. How could I not regret, how could I not deplore, passing so much time in vain? Now that I am seeing and hearing it, I can rejoice in past good conduct. If I vainly stayed in my home country, how could I have sat next to this treasure of monk, who has received the transmission of, and who wears, the Buddha's robe itself?" The sadness-and-joy were so much. A thousand myriad tears of gratitude ran down. Then I secretly vowed: "One day or another, unworthy though I am, I will become a rightful sucessor to the Buddha-Dharma. I will receive the authentic transmission of the right Dharma and, out of compassion for living beings in my homeland, I will cause them to see and to hear the robe and the Dharma which have been authentically transmitted by the Buddhist patriarchs." The vow I made then has not been in vain now; many bodhisattvas, in families and out of famillies, have received and retained the kashaya. This is something to rejoice in.)

I think that this reports of the facts, which Master Dogen has experienced in China is very valuable, and so it is impossible for us to think the transmission of Buddhist kashaya light at all.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

Together with the best wishes for the new year I am glad to inform you that Yudo J. Seggelke sensei now has fixed the topics for his lectures on Dogen Zenji's teachings of Shobogenzo. He will start with chapter Bendowa and show the great relevance of Dogen's records for us nowadays. In a discussion we will have the wonderful chance to clarify and deepen our understanding. The themes for the rest of the year 2008 are published on his Dogen Sangha Berlin Blog.

Nishijima Roshi, with your great effort of your live and this Blog-communication you made possible this opportunity of spreading real buddhism worldwide. It will be a great honour and pleasure to listen to Yudo J. Seggelke senseis teachings and receive his advice.